Part 1. The research brief

- Task Description

In Part 1 you must develop a research brief that will be used by a group conducting the research on your behalf. You will need to provide the appropriate background information and the questions/issues that you want answered.

Task 1

You may use an actual problem/issue that is facing your organisation at work, or if at present you do not work you may research an actual business problem or opportunity facing a business organisation you know about.

Before you begin, speak to your trainer to make sure everyone is satisfied with your research idea. The research brief should be no longer than 1000 words and include the following:

1. Background:
a. a brief history of the product or service to be researched
b. Product positioning data relative to competitors.
c. product differentiation - how our product differs from competitors in the marketplace
d. your organisation's overall marketing strategy
e. a description of the present situation including any available statistics (that is any available sales figures or such data).

2. Research the problem and/or opportunity:
a. outline what is the marketing problem facing the marketing organisation and its decision makers or what opportunity exists that needs to be evaluated

b. What marketing goals are to be achieved (if any) by undertaking this research?

3. The specific people that are to be the subject of the research will include:
a. the target market/s:
i. demographics - selected population characteristics like gender, age or household income
ii. psychographics - selected characteristics like lifestyles and attitudes.

4. Other relevant information:
a. key information required by management
b. reporting requirements such as to who the report needs to be addressed to (please include their exact title)
c. timeline such as deadlines for reporting
d. contact for project management.

Part 2. The research proposal

- Task Description

In Part 2 you must prepare a research proposal for your client. The proposal will be to select appropriate research methods.

Task 1

Your group will collect primary information and secondary data to provide the required information.

As a result you will know what information is required and how to collect primary data in order to provide guidance on the problem you are investigating.

Participants will design a research proposal identifying:

1. Research objectives:
a. a restatement in research terms of what management needs to know to make a relevant decision
b. objectives are stated as specifically and clearly as possible in terms of the precise information necessary to address the marketing management problem/opportunity

2. The methodology you will use to research your Objectives

3. Describe the target group for your research

4. Hypothesis - Make an assumption regarding the market you are researching. This will be your theory about what is happening and why.

5. Reporting requirements.

6. Required resources for data gathering

7. Try and identify the cost of the research in terms of staff time to be allocated. Describe the numbers of staff and the time to be allocated to research effort.

8. Time schedule - how long it is expected for the research to take.

Part 3. Research Questionnaire

- Task Description

You will develop a survey. Your survey should be based on the information/questions that the ‘customer' wants answered. You will prepare a draft survey in the form of a questionnaire.

Task 1

The main issues to consider for this survey include the following.

a. Its proposed layout.

b. Its proposed length

c. How it is to be structured? For example, will you survey be fully structured or unstructured?

d. How do you go about collecting any quantitative data?

e. How do you go about collecting any qualitative data?

f. Do you use any open ended questions?

g. Do you use dichotomous questions?

h. Will you use a choice of answers? For example, including the use of rating scales, eg. Likert scales?

i. Clarity - how will you word your questions to make sure the respondent is clear of what is being asked?

j. When and where is it appropriate to use filter and demographic questions (if at all applicable)?

k. Please not your survey should be simple and clear and the layout must be easy for all survey respondents to follow.